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Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, August 7, 2017

An Inside Look #29 - Season #TWO (AUTHOR Interview)

An Inside Look With Elly Swartz(Author of Smart Cookie)

*This was a new feature I added to the blog during the summer of 2016. It was a shot in the dark that it would work, but much to my surprise; it took off and over the last year I conducted 22 interviews with a variety of authors.

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*I didn't have time for interviews during the school year, but I'm excited to be back for "season #TWO".

*I'm hoping to run this feature at least once a week. There is nothing more satisfying than sharing and promoting a book/author/character that I have fallen in love with.

*Thank you to Elly for being the Seventh author of the new season. I truly appreciate it.

*This is a bit of a full-circle moment for me. Elly was the first author I approached about "An Inside Look" feature on the blog. She said yes and over the last couple of years we have formed a really great friendship.

*I so admire the work Elly does for children around the country. She is so personable and has such a knack connecting with her readers. I was over the moon excited when I learned she was coming out with a new novel.

*Thank you Elly for writing this novel for middle-grade readers and taking the time to share your thoughts with us here on the blog...

Smart Cookie

by Elly Swartz (Released January 30, 2018)

Finding Perfectby Elly Swartz (Released October 18, 2018)

How did you come to know Frankie?

Frankie came to me with a burst. Which
seems fitting once you get to know her. She was spunky and strong, with a
great, big heart.

What do you think is Frankie's most
admirable quality?

I think Frankie’s most wonderful
quality is her ability to love so completely. She wraps her heart around the
people in her world she cares most about.

What do you think Frankie can offer to
other young people that are experiencing similar situations to what she went
through?

I
hope that Frankie can show readers there is no cap on heart space. Love is
boundless.

I also hope Frankie can offer a
new lens to understand what it means to be and have a family. Family so much
bigger than those with whom we’ve shared a bedroom, a childhood, or even a
name. It is a big malleable circle, fluid and wonderful in all the forms it takes.

How did you research Frankie and the
circumstances she found herself in?

Frankie’s story is all about
family. For me, family is at the heart of everything I do and everything I am.
I grew up with a very close family. And 27 years ago, married the love of my
life and began my own wonderful family. But when I was thirty, my mom died. She
was 55. Her loss opened a hole in my heart that left an unfillable void. Over
the years, I’ve learned that family isn’t about having all the pieces back in
place, it’s about having people in your life who love you unconditionally.

As for Elliot’s ghost hunting, well,
that was sparked by my youngest son and one of his childhood friends. When they
were eleven (now 22), they went ghost hunting at my husband’s office. My
husband’s office is the John Ebenezer Hancock House in Boston, MA. It was built
in 1767 and owned by John Hancock until 1785. It is the oldest brick building
in Boston. That fateful night, the boys entered the building, turned off all
the lights, and roamed the office with their ghost hunting laser. After about
forty minutes of silence, the boys screamed. Loudly. The needle on the laser’s
meter sprung to life, the hair on the boys’ arms stood up. They’d found a
ghost. Maybe.

Gram’s hoarding was something I
researched with the help of a hoarding specialist. Dr. Gail Steketee helped me
understand Gram’s symptoms and behaviors, and vetted the book to be sure the
manifestation was authentic. Additionally, I did more traditional research and
further understood this condition from adults I know who hoard.

Finally, Lucy and Winston,
Frankie’s pets and companions, came to the page right from my home. Lucy, my
beagle, was about eight weeks old when I started writing Smart Cookie. She is all spunk and love. Just like Frankie. And, Winston
was my youngest son’s pet named Hippie. She was an African Pygmy Hedgehog, who
kept him company all night long.

Do you and Frankie share any similarities?

Yes. I actually think Frankie and I are
a lot alike. We both love completely and unconditionally, and both of our
stories are all about family. Additionally, as the youngest of two older
brothers, I can be feisty, spunky, and fiercely determined.

What was the hardest scene to write about
Frankie?

The hardest scene to write was the pink
roses scene. It broke my heart for Frankie to think she had lost her person. That
she was all alone. That no one needed her. I could feel her pain and overwhelming
sense of loneliness.

Who do you think was Frankie's biggest
supporter?

I think Frankie had lots of supporters.
That was what she finally realized when she went to the cemetery and spoke to
her mom. “I get it now. You can have more than one person.” Frankie’s herd
included so many: Dad, Gram, Annie, Jess, Elliot, Mable, all those at Mills,
and so many in the town. She had a very big circle of love.